OREANDA-NEWS. July 10, 2007. As “Ilyichevets” has already written (No60, of June7th) a team of young blast-furnace operators of Ilyich Iron & Steel Works came back from Ukrainian national blast-furnace operators contest inspired and firmly determined to continue and enlarge the scope of their own contest. As the result it was decided to set up an international young blast-furnace operators’ contest at Mariupol Ilyich Iron & Steel Works and name it after Nikolay Gurov.

This time young blast-furnace operators from such iron and steel giants, well known in CIS as PJSC “Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works” (Magnitogorsk, Russia), PJSC “Severstal” (Cherepovets, Russia), PJSC “Azovstal” (Mariupol), PJSC "Mittal Steel" (Krivoy Rog), Dzerzhinskiy Dneprovskiy Iron and Steel Works (Dneprodzerzhinsk) were invited to compete for the title of the best in Mariupol. All those invited took a dare and on June 29th best representatives of the trade were greeted at the base of the works’ blast-furnace shop by Vladimir Boyko, Chairman of the board of “Ilyich” iron and steel works, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament, Sergey Matvienkov a member of the Parliament, Mikhail Podyablonskiy, the chairman of the works’ trade union committee, Youriy Chentukov, deputy general director in charge of personnel, Sergey Dolya, deputy chief engineer in charge of blast-furnace production, Nikolay Kosolap, the head of the blast-furnace shop and Mikhail Bogatyrenko, the head of the department of corporate work.

Lots of questions about “Ilyich” works, well known over Priazovie region as a big diversified enterprise with the biggest social sphere, where to have a job at is considered prestigious and promising, were asked by the guests from Ukraine and especially Russia, who had had a long journey to the resort city of Mariupol. Answering young operators’ questions, mainly about social guarantees, Vladimir Boyko willingly told the young men about the achievements of “Ilyich” workers and the problems they are facing together with all iron and steel workers of Ukraine. Several times he pointed out that much will depend on the choice of new way for Ukraine at the parliamentary election. “I have no doubts that our Motherland will have a beautiful future” said V.Boyko. “It can’t be different for the country is rich and our people are industrious. But how soon the domestic manufacturers will feel stability and confidence depends upon the right orientation of Ukrainian voters in the current intricate political situation. For the Ukrainian metallurgists still agree to pay 65$ per one ton of iron ore, the production costs of which are 10 $ only, and every six months they have to face price increase for materials, fuel and transportation.”

Still collective form of ownership at the enterprise provides for the workers not only the right to work and adequate payment but also good rest at the seaside and a possibility to take care of health and old age. The fact that “Ilyich” workers can be granted interest-free credits for purchase of cars and apartments interested guests from Russia very much. Representatives of well known “Magnitka” works were envious in a good sense of the word because of interest-free credits for cars and apartments, guaranteed for “Ilyich” workers, for it turns out that young Russians have to overpay 100% of a housing price according to the mortgage landing program, introduced by the state.